An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star, named Peanut, has been euthanised by New York authorities after being seized from his caretaker’s home. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) also took a raccoon called Fred from Mark Longo’s residence in Pine City near the Pennsylvania border on Wednesday.
The DEC and Chemung County Department of Health confirmed on Friday that both animals had been killed. “On Oct 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanised,” the agencies said in a statement.
Peanut had amassed tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms over the seven years since Longo, who runs an animal sanctuary, said he took him in after seeing his mother hit by a car in New York City. The squirrel’s Instagram account showed him leaping onto Longo’s shoulder, jumping through a hoop, and wearing miniature hats.
Longo and his wife Daniela opened P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in April 2023, which now houses about 300 animals including horses, goats and alpacas. Longo said he was in the process of filing paperwork to certify Peanut as an educational animal when the squirrel was seized.
An Instagram post on Friday expressed grief: “It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news: on October 30th, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. Despite our passionate outcry for compassion, the agency chose to ignore our pleas, leaving us in deep shock and grief.”
